West Ham rocked by fresh double transfer blow as window goes from bad to worse

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West Ham’s transfer window has taken yet another hit with a crushing new double blow that will further antagonise an already agitated fanbase and surely have Graham Potter worried.

The first mini summer transfer window is over but that doesn’t mean clubs suddenly stop doing deals in the background.

For West Ham, though, actually starting to do some deals would be a welcome development.

The world and its wife know the Hammers are pleading poverty over PSR.

But with no bids to take players off their hands – let alone deals being done – Graham Potter’s hopes of getting stuck into some early window business look bleak.

Resentment from Hammers fans towards the owners is bubbling to the surface again.

West Ham fan anger bubbling to surface again over ambition

Facing what is indisputably the club’s biggest summer transfer window for many years, West Ham have no money for Potter to reshape the team.

West Ham are prioritising signing two new strikers, overhauling the midfield and bringing in a new centre-back, goalkeeper and versatile full-back who can play both sides.

While it is of course still early days, the Hammers will only have two and a half months left to transform the squad when the window re-opens on June 16th.

And less than three weeks until the players return for pre-season.

With so much work to do, selling players and the free agent market are so important to the Irons right now.

But West Ham have been rocked by fresh double transfer blow as the window goes from bad to worse.

The Hammers have already missed out on a host of targets.

And rival clubs are making moves on players said to be high up on Potter and Kyle Macaulay’s wish list including Ardon Jashari, Mario Stroeykens, Emanuel Emegha and Evann Guessand to name but a few.

With money limited to funds raised, focus has been on the free agent market.

The best out of contract stars will understandably be among the first to be targeted and snapped up by clubs.

One of the best around this summer is Burnley’s brilliant young centre-back CJ Egan-Riley.

West Ham have been pushing behind the scenes to sign Egan-Riley, who came through the ranks at Man City.

Egan-Riley was very much the breakout star of Burnley’s promotion-winning campaign.

West Ham rocked by fresh double transfer blow

The England Under-21 international was a huge presence at the heart of a backline breached only 16 times in 46 matches.

It’s clear why West Ham might want him. Because by contrast, at one point last season – albeit at Premier League level – the Hammers shipped that same number of goals in just a handful of matches.

At the start of the month Potter was given huge encouragement West Ham were closing in on signing Egan-Riley.

But in yet another blow to Potter’s plans, Burnley have now announced Egan-Riley is moving to France.

In a club statement, the Clarets say Egan-Riley rejected a new deal and while it does not name the club he will be joining, it is being widely reported as Marseille.

And that is where a second major blow has been delivered to West Ham.

Egan-Riley and Aguerd see Potter’s window go from bad to worse

Mohammed Kudus is the player the Hammers are banking on selling for decent money in a bid to boost Potter’s transfer kitty.

The other player West Ham are hoping to agree a quick deal for is Nayef Aguerd.

Hammers News exclusively revealed back in April that Aguerd has no interest in playing for the Hammers again after a loan spell with Real Sociedad.

West Ham are hoping to raise around £17-20m by selling the error-prone Moroccan centre-back.

And Foot Mercato reported just days ago that Roberto De Zerbi had ‘accelerated the process’ to bring Aguerd back to France with Marseille.

The report claimed De Zerbi wanted the deal done quickly as Marseille back the Italian following qualification for the Champions League.

But by beating West Ham to the capture of Egan-Riley, Marseille have simultaneously hit the Hammers with a double blow as they will no longer want Aguerd.

The only hope for West Ham is that Egan-Riley is moving to Strasbourg – with whom he has also been heavily linked – instead.

That would mean Marseille could be more desperate than ever to land Aguerd.

But if Egan-Riley is indeed joining L’OM then West Ham’s other big hope is that reported interest in Aguerd from Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid and Sociedad bears fruit. And fast.